Examination of operational optimization at Kemi district heating network

Model-based minimization of short term operational costs for energy distribution systems is examined. Based on the analogies between mass and energy distribution systems, a direct application of a stochastic optimal control approach was considered, previously developed and applied by the authors to water distribution systems. This paper examines the feasibility of the approach for district heating systems under certainty equivalence, i.e., the uncertain quantities are replaced by their nominal values. Simulations, based on a rough model of a part of the Kemi district heating network, are used to illustrate and validate the modeling and optimization approach. The outcomes show that optimal network loading can be designed with the considered tools